Bucket for cable shovel

ABSTRACT

A bucket for use with a cable shovel includes a shell and a door collectively defining a cavity for gathering material to be excavated. The door is pivotally secured about a pivot axis on the shell so that the door can pivot between a closed position for gathering the material and an open position for dumping the material. The pivot axis is positioned forward of an exterior surface of a back wall of the shell to create a shallower and less forceful door swing during dumping. The door has a front portion that is bent towards a digging edge on the shell so that the door has greater strength, improves bucket loading, and moves a portion of the shell away from the highest wear area.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority benefits to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/696,971 filed Sep. 5, 2012 and entitled “Bucket forCable shovel,” which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a bucket for a cable shovel machine,and in particular to the door for the bucket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 13, Cable shovels 1 (also known as dippers) are largeexcavating machines which have been used widely in mining operations forover 150 years. The buckets 3 for these machines may have a capacity aslarge as 82 cubic yards. The buckets 3 includes an open top 4 forgathering earthen material during digging, and a door 200 forming thebottom wall 5 for dumping the gathered load 325. In regard to cableshovels, the back wall 6 of the bucket 3 is the wall to which the stick300 (i.e., the end of the boom 301) is attached. The front wall 7 isopposite the back wall 6 and is the wall associated with the lip 302. Apair of opposing sidewalls 8 are each located between the back wall 6and the front wall 7, and also often supports the ends of the lip.

The doors can be very heavy and at times may weigh over 30,000 pounds.The door has at least one plate with an interior surface to contain thematerial being excavated. The door 200 is hinged to supports on the backwall so as to be closed during digging, and opened during dumping. Areleasable latch is provided to hold the door 200 in the closedposition. The size and weight of the door combined with the weight ofthe load within the cavity of the bucket causes the door to experiencestress. Often the load within the bucket is not centered and causes thedoor to experience twisting, bending, and torsional loading. The loadmay become off center during loading or may become off center when theoperator contacts the tracks of the cable shovel or the edges of thetruck body when maneuvering the bucket. The stresses can cause the doorto crack and become damaged. To strengthen the door and minimize thetwisting, bending, and torsional loading experienced, the plate isgenerally reinforced with supports. The supports increase the doorstiffness and help the door resist the off center loading. The supports,however, increase the weight of the bucket.

In use, the bucket with the door in the closed and latched position isdriven into the ground to collect a load. Once filled, the bucket islifted and the machine rotated to position the bucket over an emptytruck body of a mining dump truck. The latch is released to dump theload into the truck body. The door is free swinging so that when thelatch is released the potential energy of the weight of the door and theload within the bucket transitions into kinetic energy and causes thedoor to swing quickly and forcefully downward. The door, when released,can sometimes strike the truck body resulting in damage to the truckand/or the door. To compensate, the operator will often raise the buckethigher than necessary to avoid contact with the truck or will lower thebucket onto the truck floor or the material already in the truck beforereleasing the door for a more controlled opening of the door. Thispractice of lowering the bucket also requires an additional lifting ofthe bucket up out of the truck body with enough lift for the open doorto clear the sides of the truck body. This extra lifting and/or loweringon every digging cycle slows the process and results in less production.A higher dumped load can also cause damage to the truck as the loaddropped from a higher position impacts the truck body with more force.After the load is dumped, the operator swings the bucket away from thetruck and lowers the bucket back to engage the ground. As the bucket islowered to engage the ground the front wall approaches a horizontalposition and the door approaches a vertical position, which causes thedoor to close under its own weight. The door will at times slam shutwith great force and may cause damage to the bucket or the door. Thelatch, then, automatically actuates to secure the door for anotherdigging pass.

The uncontrolled swing of the door can cause damage to mining equipmentand can be dangerous to equipment operators and maintenance personnel.Many devices with varying degrees of success have been used to minimizethe damage of the forceful swing of the door. For example, numeroussnubbers, such as the snubber disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,308, havebeen used to slow the uncontrolled swing of the door. In addition,hydraulic circuits as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,946, and brakeand clutch devices as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,202 have beenused to control the swing of the door. Bumpers have been used to protectthe bucket as the door closes and to protect the tracks of the cableshovel if the door is opened to close to the cable shovel. The devicesused to restrain and dissipate the kinetic energy of the load and thedoor are expensive, increase the weight of the bucket, and requireintensive maintenance.

A typical latch includes several components that add considerable weightto the bucket. Each cable shovel is designed to lift a maximum weight,which is the combined weight of the bucket and the load of excavatedmaterial. Accordingly, the more weight that exists in the bucket, thesmaller the load that can be gathered into the bucket or the less wearmaterial that can be fitted to the bucket. Moreover, on account of theplacement of the latch along the bottom of the door, it is common forthese parts to need frequent repair or replacement because of the heavyloads and abrasive materials encountered. The latch system must beregularly adjusted to ensure that the latch fully engages the latchkeeper as the latch experiences wear. Adjusting the latch bar because ofwear can be very time consuming (i.e., increased downtime whichtranslates into a decrease in productivity).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to improvements in buckets for cableshovels that provide increased production, less wear and damage to thetruck body and bucket, and greater safety.

In one aspect of the invention, the hinge axis for the door is locatedforward the exterior surface of the back wall of the bucket (i.e., thesurface to which the stick is connected). This repositioning of thepivot axis results in the axis of rotation for the door being closer tothe door's center of gravity which results in a smaller moment armacting on the hinge pin and the lock or brake. The reduced moment armallows for the door to be built with less bracing and structuralrobustness and may allow a smaller lock or restraint which could allow alighter door to be utilized. This novel mounting arrangement results ina decrease in the potential energy, and creates a shallower and lessforceful door swing during dumping. Because the door swing is lessforceful, the door may not require snubbers or alternative devices toslow the swing of the door which further decreases the weight andpotential energy of the door. A lighter door may allow the bucket tocarry extra capacity or may be able to have more wear components addedto the bucket. In addition bumpers may not need to be used to minimizethe damage from the forceful swing of the door. As a result of theshallower and less forceful door swing, the operator can dump loadscloser to the truck body for greater efficiency without the same risksof damaging the truck or other components on the cable shovel. Theoperator may not have to lower the bucket onto the truck floor or thematerial already in the truck before releasing the door which willreduce the likelihood that the operator will forget to lift the bucketsufficiently out of the truck body before swinging the bucket out of theway. The cable shovel will use less power and have less motor startingand stopping resulting in lower heat generation and wear. Removing thestep of lifting the bucket out of the truck body may save 2-3 secondsfrom the cycle time. The reduced cycle time could increase productivityby as much as 5-10 percent.

In another aspect of the invention, the hinge members connecting thedoor to the shell are generally linear. A generally linear hinge member,when compared to the traditional hooked or gooseneck hinge member,reduces the stress concentrations within the hinge, reduces the amountof material in the hinge, and reduces the weight of the door.

In another aspect of the invention, improvements in the latch areprovided by moving the latch location or replacing the latch with analternative brake. In one embodiment, the door may be adequately securedin the closed position without a latch; i.e., by relying on a differentkind of restraint such as a rod brake or a hydraulic circuit, whichwould impose less weight and/or fewer components. In another embodiment,the door may be secured in the closed position with a latch that is notin the high-stress, high abrasion bottom, front, central position wherethe typical latch is located. As an example, a latch may be provided onboth sides of the door for less latch maintenance and a longer usablelife for the latch. In another embodiment, the door may be adequatelysecured in the closed position with a smaller latch to impose lessweight on the bucket and/or fewer components.

In another aspect of the invention, a door, a flap, and a restraint canbe provided to selectively close the bottom of the bucket cavity. Insome cases the door may interfere with the stick or the stick attachmentsupports. To overcome the potential interference, the rear of the door(i.e., the side closest to the hinge members) may be cut down to allowclearance. If the door is cut down a gap will be left in the back of thebucket (i.e., at the edge of the door closest to the back wall of thebucket) that would allow material to flow out of the bucket. A flap canbe used to contain the material in the bucket and allow the material toflow out of the bucket when the door is opened. The flap can accommodatea shallower swing for a door with a hinge axis repositioned forward ofthe back wall when the door is retrofit in certain existing buckets orused with new buckets of the same existing design. The flap can alsoreduce the weight of the door on any bucket as the heavy door membercovers only part of the bottom opening.

In another aspect of the invention, the door has a front portion (i.e.,the portion closest to the front of the bucket and away from the hinges)that is slanted, bent, or curved inward toward the digging edge. Thisconstruction strengthens the door for greater durability and/orincreased weight savings. The slant, bend, or curve creates a largersection modulus and moment of inertia to stiffen the door againstbending. This construction also improves bucket loading by allowingmaterial to move up the back of the bucket more easily. The curved dooralso moves the bottom end of the front wall of the bucket away from thehighest wear area with only a little change in the bucket volume, whichresults in extended times between the need to refurbish the bucket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bucket in accordance with the presentinvention without the hydraulic circuit shown in FIG. 2. Other detailsof the bucket including the lip, bail, and bail ear are omitted in thisfigure and other figures to simplify the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bucket of FIG. 1 with the hydrauliccircuit.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a bucket inaccordance with the present invention with the restraint omitted

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second embodiment with the bucket ina dumping position with the restraint omitted.

FIG. 4a is breakaway view of showing the hinge in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a bucket inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view (nearly a side view) of the thirdembodiment of the bucket.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the third embodiment with the bucket ina dumping position.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a bucket inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the bucket in adumping position.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a bucket inaccordance with the present invention with only part of the stick shown.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the bucket in adumping position.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a conventional door of a bucket for acable shovel machine.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a cable shovel and a conventional bucket anddoor in the dump position.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the first embodiment of the bucket inaccordance with the present invention in the dumping position with theconventional door shown in FIG. 12 drawn in phantom lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention pertains to a bucket 10 for a cable shovelmachine. A cable shovel bucket 10 includes a frame or shell 11. Shell 11includes a rear end with a back wall 12 having attachment supports 17 toattach the bucket to earthmoving equipment, a front end with a frontwall 13 opposite the back wall 12, and a pair of opposing sidewalls 14each located between the back wall and the front wall. The shell may beconstructed with walls having a single plate or may be constructed withportions of the bucket having double plates as is well known. If theshell is constructed with double plates, a top wall and a bottom wall 26may be provided to connect the double plates. A door 16 with an interiorsurface and an exterior surface 36 is provided to define a bottom wallof the bucket (FIGS. 1 and 2). Door 16 has a front portion with a frontedge adjacent the front end of the bucket, a rear portion with a rearedge adjacent the rear end of the bucket (i.e., the back wall), andopposite side edges extending between the front edge and the rear edge.This is the terminology that is used in this application. As can beappreciated, the back wall 12 will generally be the wall back away fromthe bank or material to be excavated during a digging operation.Similarly, the front of the bucket (i.e., the front wall) will be theportion that is the most forward with respect to the machine when themachine is moving in a forward motion and the bucket is in the dumpingposition.

The shell walls 12-14 are interconnected to define a generallyrectangular periphery. Each of the shell walls 12-14 includes aninterior surface 18-20, i.e., back surface 18, front surface 19 and sidesurfaces 20. Door 16 includes a bottom interior surface 21. The interiorsurfaces 18-21 collectively define a cavity 24 into which the excavatedmaterial 25 is collected during digging (FIG. 7). Shell 11 has an opentop 22 (which faces generally toward the material to be gathered in adigging operation) through which earthen material passes when it isgathered into cavity 24. A lip (not shown), similar to lip 302 shown inFIG. 13, may extend along an edge of the front wall 13, i.e., along theopen end of the bucket, between sidewalls 14 to define the bucketdigging edge. The lip is also often curved such that the ends of the lipextend partially up the sidewalls 14. Door 16 is pivotally secured toshell 11 by a hinge 30 that is preferably defined by a pair of hingemembers 32 and pins 44 (FIG. 1). Each hinge member 32 is provided with adistal end provided with a pivot hole. Pins 44 create a pivot axis orhinge axis 46 about which door 16 pivots. Hinge members 32 arepreferably mirror images with each other including a support portion 34that is welded or otherwise secured to a portion of the outer exteriorsurface 36 of door 16, and a mount portion 38 that attaches to shell 11.

FIG. 12 shows one example of a conventional door 200 for a cable shovelbucket. Door 200 is generally defined by a primary plate member 202 thatis sized and shaped to close the bottom of the bucket when the door isclosed, and spaced hinge members 204 that are welded to the outersurface of the door. Hinge members 204 are pivotally secured to cleviseswelded to the back wall of the bucket. The pivot or hinge axis 210 fordoor 200 is rearward of the back wall of the bucket or, in other words,outside of the bucket cavity 24. In this example, a pin is fit into theholes 212 in hinge members 204 and clevises to define the hinge axis 210about which door 200 swings. This placement of the hinge axis 210 farfrom the center of gravity of the door causes the door to swing fast andforcefully during dumping of a load into a truck.

In the present invention, the pivot hole and the hinge axis 46 of bucket10 is forward of the exterior surface 47 of back wall 12 (i.e., theexterior surface of the bucket that faces the cable shovel when thebucket is in the dumping position) and closer to the collective centerof gravity CG for door 16 and the load in the bucket (FIGS. 1 and 2).The hinge axis 46 is positioned forwardly of exterior surface 47 of backwall 12, along distance D between back wall 12 and the center of gravityCG (FIG. 1) of a loaded door, to provide the desired swing of the door(i.e., with the desired force and shallowness of swing). It ispreferably in a midrange between back wall 12 and the center of gravityCG, but it could be anywhere between exterior surface 47 of back wall 12and the center of gravity CG that provided the desired swing of thedoor. The desired swing of the door may be optimized (i.e., the distanceD′ between the exterior surface 47 of back wall 12 and the hinge axis 46may be varied) for various bucket geometries and for a number ofdifferent applications. For example, the size of the bucket, the shapeof the bucket, the type of material being excavated, and the desireddump energy (i.e., the kinetic energy the material has as it is dumpedfrom the bucket) may be considered when determining the hinge location(i.e., the distance D′ between the hinge axis and the exterior surfaceof the back wall) to provide the optimal swing of the door. The hingeaxis would have some spacing from the collective center of gravity forthe door and the load to enable swinging of the door by gravity. Thispreferably places the hinge axis through a rear portion of cavity 24.

The repositioning of hinge axis 46 forward of exterior surface 47 ofback wall 12 will result in a shallower and less forceful swing for door16 when the load is dumped. In a shallower swing, the bottom edge 48 ofdoor 16 moves a shorter distance from shell 11 when the door moves fromits closed position to its open position compared to a conventional door200 secured rearward the exterior surface of the back wall of thebucket. This is illustrated in FIG. 14 which depicts a bucket 10 in thedumping position with door 16, in accordance with the present invention,with hinges 30 secured to pins 44 forward of exterior surface 47 of backwall 12 and a conventional door 200 with hinge members 204 secured topins 212 rearward the exterior surface 47 of back wall 12. Asillustrated, door 16 moves a distance D1 away from shell 11 that is lessthan the distance D2 door 200 moves when the doors move from theirclosed position to their open position. Also in a shallower swing, thebottom edge 48 of door 16 extends below the lowest portion of shell 11 ashorter distance in the open position when compared to the distance door200 extends below the shell. As illustrated, door 16 extends below thelowest portion of shell 11 a distance D3 that is less than the distanceD4 door 200 extends in the open position.

This shallower swinging of door 16 lessens the risk the door will strikethe truck body during dumping without restricting the discharge of theload. The repositioned hinge axis 46 causes the door to move with lessforce and speed when opened so that if the door unintentionally strikesthe truck body, there is less risk of damage to the truck body and thedoor. As a result, the shallower swing also enables the bucket to bepositioned closer to the truck body for dumping, which results ingreater productivity and reduced risk of damage to the truck bodybecause of a shorter distance for the falling load (FIG. 14). Therepositioning of the hinge axis forward of exterior surface 47 of backwall 12 obviates the need for the operator to lift the bucket higher toavoid any risk that the door will strike the truck body when released orto lower the bucket so the door sets on the truck body floor or alreadyreceived material before releasing the door. Even if door 16 is set onthe truck body floor or material already gathered in the truck bodybefore it is released to dump the load, the benefit of a shallower swingenables the bucket to be swung away from the truck body with less bucketlift as compared to a conventional bucket. The provision of a door thatswings shallower and less forcefully also improves worker safety and mayeliminate the need for snubbers and bumpers.

In the illustrated example (FIGS. 1 and 2), support portion 34 of eachhinge member 32 is an elongated body that extends diagonally across door16 to give the door additional strength. Other strengtheningarrangements could, of course, be used. Also, in this example, the mountportion 38 is defined by a hooked end with a hole that aligns with apair of holes in clevis 40 or other suitable means secured to shell 11.Hinge members 32 are preferably bent so that the support portion 34extends inwardly from hooked end 38 to extend across the exterior faceof door 16, while the hooked end 38 extends perpendicular to hinge axis46 outside of sidewalls 14. In the illustrated embodiment, each clevis40 is formed by a plate 42 fixed in a spaced relationship to therespective sidewall 14. This can be incorporated into the structure ofthe bucket as a box section design is common in this section of thebucket construction. Other hinge constructions could be used. A pin 44is fit through the holes in the clevis 40 and the respective hingemember 32 to form a pivot connection about which door 16 moves. The pins44, therefore, define the axis of rotation or hinge axis 46 for door 16to move between the open and closed positions.

In an alternative embodiment (FIGS. 3, 4, and 4 a), bucket 310 includesa shell 311 and door 316 that is similar in many ways to shell 11 anddoor 16 with many of the same benefits and purposes. The followingdiscussion focuses on the differences and does not repeat all thesimilarities that apply to bucket 310. Each Sidewall 314 contains a slot339 along an edge 331 facing the door 316 (i.e., the edge opposite theopen top 322). The hinges 332 are defined by a generally linear hingemember 338 each provided with a hole that aligns with a hole within therespective sidewall 314. Hinge members 338 preferably first contact door316 at a location below the rear edge of the door 316 so that the hingeto door connection point is closer to the center of pressure of the loadacting on the door. A connection point that is closer to the center ofpressure reduces the moment force that acts on the door and creates amore stable door. Hinge members 338 are inserted in slots 339 to attachdoor 316 to shell 311. Other hinge constructions could be used like theclevis in bucket 10. A pin 344 is fit through the hole in the sidewalland the respective hinge member 338 to form a pivot connection aboutwhich door 316 moves. The pins 344 define the axis of rotation or hingeaxis 346 for door 316 to move between the open and closed positions.During the digging operation the door generally protects the slots andminimizes the fines that can enter the openings. When the door isreleased to dump the material being excavated, the amount of fines thatcan enter the slots are minimized by gravity since the slots facedownward. Use of linear hinge members, instead of ones that are hookedand bent as in bucket 10, reduces the amount of stress experienced inthe hinge. A linear hinge member also reduces the amount of materialneeded to connect the door to the shell and thus reduces the weight ofthe bucket.

Conventional door 200 (FIG. 12) includes a latch 214 that advances tohold the door in the closed position, and retracts to release the doorduring dumping. Latch 214 includes a latch bar 216, which is secured ina vertical position along the center line of door 200 by a guidestructure 218. Latch bar 216 includes a slot 220 near its top end 222 toreceive a lever 224 extending transversely through the slot. Lever 224is constrained within a pivot box 226 to one side of latch bar 216 forpivotal movement. An actuator (not shown) is secured to the free end 228of lever 224 to move the lever back when the door is to be opened.Forward and rearward movement of lever 224 results in forward andrearward movement of latch bar 216 (i.e., gravity moves the latch bar216 down when the lever is moved forward). In the forward position, theend 230 adjacent front wall 13 of latch bar 216 is received into a latchchannel secured to the bucket shell to secure the door in the closedposition. This forward position is referred to as the latched position.In the opposite, unlatched position, the bottom end 230 of latch bar 216is withdrawn from the latch channel to release the door during dumping.The unlatched position (i.e., where the latch bar 216 moves toward thebucket back wall 12) is referred to as the release position.

A conventional latch 214 can be used in connection with door 16 or door316. Nevertheless, a conventional latch 214 has disadvantages. Forexample, latch bar 216 and the latch channel are positioned along thefront edge 230 of the door to provide sufficient resistance to the highforces that are the result of receiving a heavy load in the bucket. Thecenter portion of the door near the front wall 13, however, is a highwear and high maintenance area on account of the abrasive material thatpasses by the components each time a load is dumped. Earthen material isprone to lodging in the latch channel and guide structure 218, requiringstoppage of the digging to clean out the material and free the operationof the latch bar. Further, latch 214 is a substantial assembly with anumber of components. The latch bar 216 and other components are large,robust members to provide sufficient resistance to the heavy loadsresulting from maintaining the door in a closed position with materialcontained within the dipper body, and from material striking the doorduring the digging portion of the operation. The heavy weight of thelatch components adds considerable weight to the bucket, and reduces theload that can be gathered in the bucket during digging or the amount ofwear material that can be fitted on the bucket. Reduced weight in thebucket and greater material loads may lead to higher production if thetrucks are otherwise under filled; i.e., it is desirable for the bucketsto fill the truck bodies in one or more full dumps of the bucket.Reduced weight in the bucket may also enable the addition of increasedwear material for a longer usable life.

Since the forward repositioning of hinge axis 46 requires less resistiveforce to keep the door closed, a conventional latch 214 may not beneeded, though the inventive door could include a conventional latch.Alternatively, a brake 56 can be used in lieu of a latch to preventunintended opening of the door. In one example (FIG. 2), a hydrauliccircuit 64 can be used in lieu of latch 214. In this example, circuit 64includes a pair of hydraulic cylinders 66. Each cylinder 66 is coupledbetween door 16 and a clevis 68 secured to back wall 12. Fluid lines 70connect cylinders 66 to an accumulator 72. The cylinders work as a unitto snub and lock the door in the closed position. The circuit utilizesthe accumulator 72 to store energy for the residual pressure in thecylinders. Opening valve 74 allows pressure to flow from the cylinders66 to the accumulator to open a loaded door, and back into the cylindersto close the door after dumping. Circuit 64 is a low cost, light weightalternative to latch 214. The use of circuit 64 will reliably provideuniform pressure to both hinge members 32.

In another alternative (FIGS. 5-7), brake 56 a includes a rod 58 that issecured to a hinge member 32 via stem 60. Many types of brakes areknown, in one example the rod 58 may pass through a cam type brakeassembly 62 secured to back wall 12 of the bucket shell 11. Brakeassembly 62 can be deactivated to permit free movement of door 16 to itsopen or closed position, or activated to securely grab rod 58 andprevent movement of the rod and door. A single brake 56 a mounted in thecenter of the door can be used, or a brake 56 a could be provided foreach hinge member 32.

The elimination of latch 214 results in a reduction in the bucketweight, which leads to greater loads or the ability to secure more wearmaterial to the bucket. The elimination of latch 214 also reduces thehigh maintenance and repair needs associated with the latch, and resultsin a means for holding the door closed (e.g., brake 56 or 56 a ) with alonger usable life. Further, the brake can be used to function as both asnubber and a lock. Using the brake for both purposes permits theelimination of a separate snubber, which is typically provided. Asnubber is normally an apparatus that dampens the swing of the door byfriction on rotating disks. Elimination of a separate snubber leads toless cost, weight and maintenance.

In an alternative construction (FIGS. 8 and 9), a door 75 can beprovided with a front portion 78 that is bent inward toward the diggingedge. The term “bent” is intended to include a portion that is angledinward with a generally linear slant or is curved inward. The shell hascomplementary surfaces so that front portion 78 of door 75 abuts bottomedges of the shell when the door is closed. The formation of door 75with a curvature, as opposed to a planar door, provides the door withgreater strength. The increased strength of the curved door 75 enablesthe use of thinner steel plate or reduced supports for improved weightsavings and/or provides a door which is more durable and/or providedwith more wear material. The curved door 75 also increases the openingfor improved material discharge, i.e., from cavity 24′ defined by topsurface 18′, bottom surface 19′ and side surfaces 20′ (see FIG. 9). Thecurved door also permits the bucket to be lower over the truck body fordumping. The use of a curved door further repositions the heel 80 of thebucket shell 82 out of the high wear area at the lower, front corner ofthe bucket cavity; i.e., the bucket shell 82 curves forwardly at theheel 80 such that door 75 forms the front, lower corner of cavity 24′.This is an advantage as the door is easier and cheaper to repair orreplace than the shell of the bucket. Door 75 can be used with aconventional hinge 84 (i.e., with a hinge axis rearward of the back wallof the bucket shell) as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, or with hinge 30 or 332for the benefits provided by having a hinge axis 46 forward of back wall12. Brake 56 or 56 a could be used to secure the curved door 75 in theclosed position.

In the illustrated alternative, a latch 86 is provided with at least onelateral latch bar 88 that moves so that each end, laterally beyond thesides 90 of door 75, is received in latch channels (not shown) securedto the sidewalls 92 of shell 82. The latch bar 88 can be moved by arotary mechanism (not shown). Numerous types of rotary mechanisms andmethods for operating the rotary mechanisms are widely known. Forexample, the rotary mechanism could move two latch bars 88 hooked (notshown) to the same driver, one on top of the driver the other on thebottom of the driver, so that the free ends of each latch bar 88 moveslaterally outward or inward to latch or unlatch the door. In analternative example, one latch bar 88 could pivot in the middle of thedoor with one latch bar end going down on one side and the latch bar endgoing up on the other side. In this example one latch channel would havean opening that faced towards the front end of the bucket to accept thelatch bar moving upwards and one latch channel would have an openingthat faced towards the rear end of the bucket to accept the downwardlymoving latch bar. Using one latch bar 88 ensures that both ends of thelatch bar move the same distance and minimizes the likelihood that oneof the latch bars would become hung up and not allow the door to fullylatch.

Latch 86 may have a spring mechanism so that when the door closes thebar is deflected in a rotational manner against the biasing action ofthe spring, and then springs back to engage the latch channels and heldin place by the biasing spring. The latch could be unlatched by a tripcable that overcomes the spring bias. In an alternative, the latch barcould be asymmetrical relative to its pivotal connection so that thelatch bar by gravity returns to a predetermined position to hold thelatch bar in the latch channels. In still another alternative, ahydraulic actuator could push the latch bar into a locked position.These are but examples of latching mechanisms and the latchingmechanisms could be used individually or could be used in variouscombinations. Repositioning of the latch from the bottom of the door tothe sides 90 results in less clogging, reduced maintenance needs as thelatch is outside of the high wear area of the bucket, and a longerusable life for latch 86 as compared to latch 214.

Latches 214 and 86 are shown with doors 200 and 75 that are coupled tothe bucket shell via conventional hinges 204 and 84. Latches 214 and 86could be used with an inventive hinge 30 or 332 with a hinge axis 46that is forward of back wall 12. In a construction with such arepositioned hinge axis 46, less force is needed to resist the openingof the door. As a result, the components of the latch can be smaller insize and have a smaller collective weight as compared to theconventional latches. The latch, or restraining mechanism, can also bemoved away from the lower portion of the door because less totalresistive moment is needed to retain the door in a closed position, asin latch 56, 56 a , and 86. As noted above, a lower weight bucketenables the collection of a larger load in cavity 24 and/or the additionof more wear material.

In another aspect of the invention (FIGS. 10 and 11), a door 100 withhinge 30 can be retrofitted on an existing bucket (or on a new bucketwith the same existing design). However, with some existing buckets, thedoor, if swung about a hinge axis 46 extending through cavity 24, wouldcontact and interfere with the bucket shell 102 when swung to an openposition if there were no further modification. To accommodate aninterfering portion the door 100 is made shorter at its rear edge and apivoting flap 104 is provided along the rear portion 106 of the bottomopening 108 of bucket 110. Flap 104 is coupled to shell 102 along itsrear edge 112 by a pair of conventional hinges 114 so that flap 104freely swings about a pivot axis 116. The front edge 118 of flap 104sets along the rear end 120 of the inner surface 122 of door 100. Whendoor 100 is in the closed position, flap 104 is also in the closedposition because of its contact with inner surface 122 of door 100. Theflap 104 prevents any of the load from being lost through the gap 124existing between the rear end 120 of door 100 and shell 102. When door100 is released for dumping the load, flap 104 swings on account ofgravity with door 100 to avoid any obstruction of the materialdischarge. The door, because it is spaced forward from the back wall 12,clears the back wall during rotation about the repositioned hinge axis46. The use of flap 104 is beneficial for certain bucket designs topermit the retrofitting of an inventive door 16 on an existing bucket.Flap 104 could also be used (in a new or existing bucket) to enable theuse a smaller door for further reductions in bucket weight even if therewere no interfering shell portion.

The various aspects of the invention can be used with each other orindependently. As examples only, a door with a curved bottom end couldbe used with hinge members that place the hinge axis forward of backwall of the bucket, and a flap could be used with any of the bucketdesigns.

1. A cable shovel bucket comprising a front wall, an opposite back wall,sidewalls extending between the front wall and the back wall and a doorcollectively defining a cavity for gathering material during operationof the cable shovel, the door being pivotally secured for gravityactivated movement between an open position and a closed position abouta pivot axis that extends through the side walls between the back wallof the cavity and the front wall.
 2. The cable shovel bucket inaccordance with claim 1 wherein the door is pivotally secured to thesidewalls by a pair of hinge members each connected to the door andpivotally secured to the sidewalls.
 3. The cable shovel bucket inaccordance with claim 2 wherein each said hinge member is generallylinear between the door and the pivot axis.
 4. The cable shovel bucketin accordance with claim 2 wherein each said hinge member includes asupport portion that extends across a portion of the door and a mountportion that is pivotally secured to the sidewalls.
 5. The cable shovelbucket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the bucket includes a frontend and a rear end with supports to attach the bucket to the cableshovel, the front end having a digging edge to contact the ground in adigging operation and a heel, and wherein the door includes a frontportion proximate the front end and a rear portion proximate the rearend, and the front portion of the door is bent forwardly toward the heelto abut a complementary shaped front end of the bucket when the door isclosed.
 6. The cable shovel bucket in accordance with claim 5 whereinthe front portion of the door is curved forwardly at the heel.
 7. Thecable shovel bucket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the door is heldagainst the front wall with a restraint for gathering the material to beexcavated, and an open position where the restraint retracts and thedoor disengages from the front wall to dump the material to beexcavated.
 8. The cable shovel bucket according to claim 7 wherein therestraint is a releasable latch.
 9. The cable shovel bucket according toclaim 8 wherein the releasable latch secures the door to at least one ofthe sides of the bucket.
 10. The cable shovel bucket according to claim7 wherein the restraint is a rod and brake.
 11. The cable shovel bucketaccording to claim 7 wherein the restraint is a hydraulic circuit. 12.The cable shovel bucket according to claim 1 wherein a flap is locatedalong a rear portion of the bucket between the back wall and the door,the flap is coupled to the bucket with a hinge so that an edge of theflap sets along a rear end of the interior surface of the door when thedoor is in the closed position and pivots away from the cavity when thedoor is in the open position.
 13. A cable shovel bucket comprising ashell including a front end having a digging edge and a rear end havingsupports to secure the bucket to the cable shovel, and a door pivotallysecured to the shell for movement between an open position and a closedposition, wherein the shell and the door when closed collectively definea cavity for gathering material during operation of the cable shovel,the gravity actuated door has a front portion proximate the front end ofthe shell and a rear portion proximate the rear end of the shell, andthe front portion of the door is curved toward the digging edge to abuta complementary shaped shell when the door is closed.
 14. The cableshovel bucket in accordance with claim 13 wherein a restraint holds thedoor against the shell in the closed position and the restraintdisengages the door from the shell in the open position.
 15. The cableshovel bucket in accordance with claim 14 wherein the restraint is areleasable latch.
 16. The cable shovel bucket according to claim 15wherein the releasable latch secures the door to at least one of thesides of the bucket.
 17. The cable shovel bucket according to claim 14wherein the restraint is a rod and brake.
 18. The cable shovel bucketaccording to claim 14 wherein the restraint is a hydraulic circuit. 19.The cable shovel bucket according to claim 13 wherein the pivotconnection has hinge members that are generally linear.
 20. The cableshovel bucket according claim 13 wherein a flap is located along therear portion of the bucket between the back wall and the door, the flapis coupled to the bucket with a hinge so that an edge of the flap setsalong a rear end of the interior surface of the door when the door is inthe closed position and pivots away from the cavity when the door is inthe open position.